Electrical component

ABSTRACT

An electrical component, which may be a binding post, a connector plug or socket or a fuse holder, has a cover member of insulating material resiliently and releasably secured upon a structural member of the component. In a fuse holder comprising a flanged tubular body member of insulating material within which fits a carrier for a fuse cartridge, a first cover member is resiliently secured upon the flange and a second cover member is resiliently secured upon the outwardly presented end of the fuse carrier. In a socket connector the cover member is secured upon the mounting flange. In a plug connector the cover member is secured upon the plug itself. In a binding post the cover is secured upon a clamping nut.

United States Patent [191 Blight et al.

[ ELECTRICAL COMPONENT [75] Inventors: Dennis Jack Blight; David Frederick Miller; John Trevor Morgan, all of Enfield, England [73] Assignee: Belling & Lee Limited, Enfield,

England [22] Filed: Sept. 24, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 399,917

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 26, 1972 United Kingdom 44451/72 [52] US. Cl. 339/36; 339/125; 339/213 [51] Int. Cl ..l-l01r 13/54 [58] Field of Search 339/31-33, 339/36-44, 75, 65, 66, 59 L, 176 L, 119 L,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,931,005 3/1960 Saurwein et a] 339/119 L X 3,052,866 9/1962 Koch 339/126 J June 24, 1975 3,059,231 10/1962 Ameberg et al. 339/119 L X 3,489,891 1/1970 Altissimo 240/8.16 X 3,604,918 9/1971 Cook et al. 240/8.l6

[5 7] ABSTRACT An electrical component, which may be a binding post, a connector plug or socket or a fuse holder, has a cover member of insulating material resiliently and releasably secured upon a structural member of the component. In a fuse holder comprising a flanged tubular body member of insulating material within which fits a carrier for a fuse cartridge, 21 first cover member is resiliently secured upon the flange and a second cover member is resiliently secured upon the outwardly presented end of the fuse carrier. In a socket connector the cover member is secured upon the mounting flange. In a plug connector the cover member is secured upon the plug itself. ln a binding post the cover is secured upon a clamping nut.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEIJ JUN 24 I915 SHEET Y J/I ELECTRICAL COMPONENT DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART This invention relates to electrical component required to be visually distinguishable from one another although a generally identical form.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has previously been proposed to provide electrical components with differently coloured structural portions by which similar components intended for different service may be readily identified. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the absence of an appropriately coloured structural component will render the component inapplicable in a particular service.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in panelmountable electrical apparatus.

According to the present invention there is provided in an electrical component the improvement which comprises, applying over a structural member of said component, a resiliently secured, removable cover member of insulating material.

Preferred features and advantages of apparatus in accordance with the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment taken in conjunction with the drawing, of which:

FIG. 1 is a partial and partly-sectional side elevation of a mounting for a cartridge type fuse; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mounting of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation of a planelmounting socket;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of a screw terminal, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of a plug contact memher.

The mounting of fuse-holder shown in the drawings comprises a generally tubular body member 1 of insulating material formed externally with a screw-threaded portion la on which may engage a nut 3 for securing the body member in a panel. The upper end of member 1, as shown in the drawing, is provided with an outturned flange lb which has a slanting or bevelled outer edge. A resilient bezel member 4 is fitted over the upper end of body member 1, and has a downwardly extending peripheral flange 4a having at its free edge an in-turned bead 4b which engages below flange 1b of body member 1 to retain bezel member 4 in position on the body member. This bead may be continuous around the entire inner perimeter of the said flange, or if preferred it may be confined to a few selected locations on the perimeter.

It is an advantage of this construction that the colour or form of the bezel member may be changed without the necessity of providing a new body member whenever a change in colour or form of the visible part of the apparatus is required. A further advantage is that bezel member 4 may cover and prevent accidental electrical contact with metal parts attached to body member 1 and otherwise accessible to the unwary when the de vice is mounted. Bezel member 4 may be made ofa material sufficiently elastomeric to allow the deformation necessary to permit bead 4b to pass over the sloping face and snap into place below flange lb.

Within tubular body member 1 screws a generally tubular fuse carrier member 5 of insulating material which is provided with an upward extension 5a of reduced diameter which is closed by an integral disc portion 5b of larger diameter so that a peripheral groove 5c is formed adjacent the outer end of the fuse carrier. Disc portion 5b has a transverse slot 5d formed in its outer face. Over projection 5a tilts a resilient, insulating cap member 6 having a downwardly extending peripheral flange 6a provided at its free edge with an inturned bead 6b which engages in groove 56 of fusecarrier member 5 to retain cap 6 in position. Cap member 6 has on its inner surface a transverse bar formed for mating engagement in the slot 5c in carrier member 5. The outer surface of cap 6 is provided with a transverse slot 6c, conveniently aligned with the internal bar, in which a coin or other article may be engaged for rotation of the fuse carrier, which as is conventional engages body member 1 by suitable screw-threaded portions 1c, 5d on the two members. In a modification a bayonet form of engagement may be provided.

Within fuse carrier 5 is fitted a generally tubular contact member 7, the upper end of which is closed by a disc portion 7a. The lower end of contact member 7 is outwardly offset to form a contact ring 7b which engages a contact member 8 fitted in a groove 1d formed within body member 1. Body member 1 extends downwardly, as shown in the drawing, to a closed end por tion 1e, within which is placed a further contact member 9. As shown, contact member 7 of fuse carrier 5 may be secured to the carrier body by a rivet 10 passing through end portion 5b of the fuse carrier. The upper end of this rivet is shielded from accidental contact by insulating cap member 6, of which the normally visible portion may be coloured or formed as desired without any change in the fuse carrier member itself.

It should be noted that the bezel member 4 and cap member 6 cannot be removed from the body member 1 or from carrier member 5 respectively when the device is in use. When body member 1 is mounted in a panel member shown in broken line at 11, the rim 4b of bezel member 4 will be gripped between the flange 1b of body member 1 and the panel 11. Alternatively, it may locate in a suitable shaped recess or recesses on the underside of the flange 1b so that the flange may seat firmly on the surface of panel member 11. Cap 6 can be removed from carrier member 5 only when the latter has been unscrewed from its operative position in the body member.

It is possible to employ a bezel member 4 on body member 1 without using a cap member 6 on carrier member 5, or a cap member 6 may be used without a complementary bezel member, should this be advantageous.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of electrical component in accordance with the invention, in this case a panel-mounting socket. A tubular insulating body member 21 is formed with an outwardly extending flange portion 21a at one end, a screw thread 21b on a portion of its outer surface. and its end remote from flange 21a is closed by a discoidal end portion 210. Within body member 21 is disposed a socket contact member 22 presenting an outwardly flanged mouth portion 22a at the open end of body member 21 and having a closed end 22b abutting the closed end of the body member. A terminal portion 220 extends through end portion 21c of body member 21 and may be given any desired form.

Over the flanged upper end of body member 21 is fitted a resilient bezel member 24, having a peripheral flange portion 24a extending over the outer face 21d of flange 21a on the body member 21 and terminating at portions at least of the periphery in an in-turned rim or bead 24b fitting into a continuous or interrupted recess 212 formed in flange 21a of body member 21. The upper surface of bezel 24 has an aperture 240 permitting the passage of a plug contact member into socket 22. The margin 24d of the aperture projects over the bell-mouthed portion 22a of socket 22 to prevent inadvertent contact therewith.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 is a screw terminal having a captive head. A terminal stem member 31 has a flange portion 31a, immediately above which the stem is pierced by a transverse bore 31b, and extends upwardly, as shown in the drawing, as a screw-threaded portion 310 terminating in an up-set flange 31d which prevents removal of a terminal nut 32 (shown partly in section) which is screwed upon portion 31c. Nut 32 has a downwardly open recessed portion 32a extending beyond its internal screw thread, whereby allowing its lower face 32b to engage the upper surface of stem flange 31a. Nut 32 also has a bevelled upper flange 32c which serves to accept and retain in position a resilient cover member 33 of insulating material, permitting the terminal to be denoted as desired by colour or shape of the cover member. It will be understood that the terminal structurally is operable without the presence of cover member 33.

FIG. shows another embodiment of the invention, in this case a plug contact member 41, of which the upper end (shown partly in section) forms a bucket 41a capable of permitting a soldered or crimped connection to a connecting wire. Such plug contact members are frequently used in the art. In accordance with the invention the plug contact member 41 is provided with a resilient insulating cover member 42 of generally tubular form, which is arranged to be retained upon plug contact member 41 by providing it with an internal groove 42a arranged to be resiliently engageable upon a bevelled flange portion 41b of member 41.

We claim:

1. In an electrical component including a structural member having a stem portion and a flange portion extending radially outward from said stem portion to an outer edge and serving to locate said structural member in an aperture in a mounting panel the improvement comprising a removable cover member of insulating material for applying over said structural member of said component said cover member extending over said flange portion and formed with portions thereof extending over said outer edge of said flange portion and resiliently engaging beneath said flange portion to secure said cover member releasably thereon.

2. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural member is a body member of insulating material having one or more metal members secured thereto.

3. The improvement claimed in claim 1v wherein the portion of said cover member is positioned to be gripped between said flange and said mounting panel when said structural member is mounted on said mounting panel.

4. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural member is a body member having an insert securable therein and said insert has a furthersaid cover member of insulating material resiliently and removably secured upon that portion thereof which is presented outwardly of said body member when said insert is secured therein.

5. The improvement claimed in claim 4 wherein said further cover member is removable from said insert member only when said insert member is partly or wholly removed from within said body member.

6. The improvement claimed in claim 4 wherein said insert member and said body member together constitute a fuse holder arranged to receive a fuse cartridge.

7. The improvement claimed in claim 4 wherein said further cover member covers a metal portion of said insert.

8. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover member covers a metal portion of said component.

9. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural member of said component is a metal member thereof.

10. The improvement claimed in claim 9 wherein said metal member is a clamping nut working upon the screwthreaded steam of a binding post.

i 11. The improvement claimed in claim 9-where in said metal member is an electrical connecting plug. 

1. In an electrical component including a structural member having a stem portion and a flange portion extending radially outward from said stem portion to an outer edge and serving to locate said structural member in an aperture in a mounting panel the improvement comprising a removable cover member of insulating material for applying over said structural member of said component said cover member extending over said flange portion and formed with portions thereof extending over said outer edge of said flange portion and resiliently engaging beneath said flange portion to secure said cover member releasably thereon.
 2. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural member is a body member of insulating material having one or more metal members secured thereto.
 3. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein the portion of said cover member is positioned to be gripped between said flange and said mounting panel when said structural member is mounted on said mounting panel.
 4. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural member is a body member having an insert securable therein and said insert has a further said cover member of insulating material resiliently and removably secured upon that portion thereof which is presented outwardly of said body member when said insert is secured therein.
 5. The improvement claimed in claim 4 wherein said further cover member is removable from said insert member only when said insert member is partly or wholly removed from within said body Member.
 6. The improvement claimed in claim 4 wherein said insert member and said body member together constitute a fuse holder arranged to receive a fuse cartridge.
 7. The improvement claimed in claim 4 wherein said further cover member covers a metal portion of said insert.
 8. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover member covers a metal portion of said component.
 9. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural member of said component is a metal member thereof.
 10. The improvement claimed in claim 9 wherein said metal member is a clamping nut working upon the screwthreaded steam of a binding post.
 11. The improvement claimed in claim 9 wherein said metal member is an electrical connecting plug. 